After The Party Is Over…..

 

Ok, my dear readers….we didn’t really have a party,  but we did have guests staying at Villa de la Luna…in other words our home…. for 4 nights and 5 days and we really did enjoy having them here.

BUT…as with all good things…sadly it comes to an end.

Not only because you miss your family, but because it is now clean up time.

Do you dread cleaning up after guests have been staying in your home?

I say to you…don’t dread it because it really is not that difficult to get your home back in shape.

Below are a few of my time saving tips on getting everything ship-shape again.

Luckily, my family is great with cleaning up after themselves, so no worries there, but let me share with you the way I clean after visitors have left.

The first thing I do is start the laundry….and it goes none-stop for a while as I wash bedding, towels and bathing suits.

Actually, I started stripping the beds with the help of  only daughter…

,….. before everyone had finished packing.  

I believe it helps with finding stray items that might be wrapped up in the tangled duvets, blankets and sheets.  With other guests, I might wait until they have left. but with family…they understand and pitch right in.

I always appreciate the help and when the offer to help comes, I can usually find something to be done. 🙂

I did serve a couple meals at home but we ate out mostly because it gave me extra time to be having fun with my family.  No big meals to prepare or dishes to be done.

Of course, we did have coffee and tea in the mornings and perhaps a piece of fruit for the young ones…but I put the utensils and cups right into the dishwasher so my kitchen remained tidy.

As you know…those who have followed me regularly,  I have a coffee station set up and my family knew exactly how to use it, so that was a time saver too.

So today is Friday….the dreaded day the family returns to Kansas.

So after we took our family to the airport …..about noon-ish….I got serious about finishing the cleaning and returning my home to it’s original order.

I took a 20 minute catnap.  

There was no sense of urgency as the rooms would still be there when I woke up.

Sometimes one needs to “refresh” oneself!

However, the first thing I did after resting was to zip into each of the bathrooms with my little blue bucket of supplies and wipe out the sinks, wipe down the faucets, mirrors and the top of the vanities. I had already removed all the towels and tossed them into the washer.  (That is one wonderful thing about white towels.  They are so easy to wash, add a little oxyclean or bleach and they come out so fluffy and clean).

I then swished out the commodes, adding a bit of bleach and then I wiped down the lids and bowls and tanks.   

And then I swished out the shower stalls and wiped up the tiled (and bamboo) floors with my swiffer mop.  Each bathroom (4) took about 10 minutes tops.

The next item on my cleaning up after guests…was to empty the waste baskets in each bathroom and bedroom.  I make it easy on myself by carrying a larger trash bag and going from room to room emptying each waste basket into one larger one.

As each load of bedding finished up in the dryer…I took all related bedding to the co-ordinating bedroom and remade the beds. I then took my swiffer duster and dusted off all the tables and clocks etc on the night stands….and wiped up the tile floors.

Next came the replacement of the towels to towel racks and linen closets.  I folded the towels the minute they came out of the dryer…it makes them so much easier to fold.  Luckily, I have a folding table in my laundry room…but one could also use a large counter top in the kitchen if need be.

Then I gave each bedroom a once-over and pronounced them good until the next deep cleaning.

I have to admit we spent most of our time out-of-doors on the lanai by the pool (and in the pool)….. so the Captain and I brought in all the beach towels and tossed them into the washer and organized the seating, poufed up the cushions and returned the “swim toys” to their places, swung the television screen back against the wall of the outdoor kitchen and emptied the large trash can.  

And that was it!

Next on my list…I must hang two pages from my little great grand daughter’s coloring book.  She colored them just for her GG!

Things like that are irreplaceable.  🙂

Tomorrow, when I water all the outdoor plants that are not near the sprinkler systems….I will wash down the lanai and the Secret Garden pavers with the power washer.

But for now…..After the “party”….and my guests/family leave, I take a few minutes to be thankful for the opportunity and blessing of having them in our home.

I love creating memories and relationships!!! And believe me when I say it is worth a little extra effort!

These memories of decades of laughter, …and there has been lots of laughter!  

Lots of memories….

Many of life’s events and so many more blessings than I can count.

So what if there is a little mess or a little clean up needed?  That is nothing in comparison. 

And that my dear readers…is the way I keep everything in tip-top shape and ready for the next visitors. 

I can hardly wait. 

Do you have special tips you can share?